Painting vs. Powder Coating

When it comes to finishes for exterior wrought iron railings, gates and fences there is considerable debate over whether it is preferable to go with a painted finish or with a powder coating. And if you ask us which one we think is better, the answer has to unequivocally – paint. Go with paint.

Now you probably want to know why we say that. We don’t blame you. To understand why we advocate wet painted products for exterior metal, it is important to understand the difference between the two.

Powder coating

When wrought iron products are powder coated, they are sprayed with a dry – very fine – plastic powder. As this powder is sprayed, it becomes charged with static electricity which then attracts it to the metal.

The part is then baked in a special oven at a very high temperature where the powder melts creating a beautiful finish.

Paint coating

When a wrought iron gate, fence or railing is paint coated, it is sprayed with… paint. That’s the process in a nutshell. And while this process doesn’t necessarily sound quite as exciting as the special powder coating, paint is still what we recommend for products that are meant for outdoors.

Why choose paint?

When it comes to exterior products, wet painted metal is by far the more practical. While it’s true that a powder coated product will look absolutely perfect on the day it arrives, it is not going to remain that way.

Knowing this, we cannot offer any warranties on the life of a product that has been powder coated as we can on painted products. This means that as a powder coated metal fence or gate starts to loose it’s coating, the customer has no recourse.

And there’s one more thing. When your paint starts to show signs of wear and tear, it can be repainted on site. But if you have a fence or railing that has been powder coated, the entire thing will need to be removed in order to be refinished. (Remember that special oven? It’s not exactly portable!)

So for us, there is really only one option when it comes to exterior products. Because while powder coated looks nice in the beginning, it simply doesn’t stack up to the practicality of paint.

Trust the expertise of Dufferin Iron

At Dufferin Iron, we don’t expect our customers to necessarily come in with an understanding of what the best kinds of finishes are for their exterior wrought iron. That is what we are here for.

With our forty plus years of experience in the industry, we have literally seen it all. A company or contractor with less experience may recommend one type of finish simply because they feel that it looks a little nicer. But we prefer to look at the whole picture. We want our customers to be happy, not only when their product arrives, but also for the many years that they will be enjoying it.

If you have any questions about finishes or any other aspect of our products, we invite you to give us a call.

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About us

At Dufferin Iron® & Railings, we build what you envision. With over 40 years of experience, we draw from a wealth of expertise cultivated through passion and skill in order to forge and design custom made wrought iron furnishings that truly represent craftsmanship and quality.